Nominations invited for E50 Awards

Nominations Invited For E50 Awards

Formed in 1999, the E50 Club is open to present and past winners of the annual Enterprise 50 Awards organised by The Business Times and KPMG in Singapore.

The club's members include some of the most entrepreneurial privately held companies here, many of them founded by self-made businessmen.

Besides arranging overseas business trips, the club organises bi-monthly luncheons with Cabinet ministers. At these events, members get updated insights into various government policies and issues of the day. During lunch, members take turns to interact with the minister and get time to introduce themselves and share their concerns.

The club was initiated by Tommie Goh, now chairman of investment company 2G Capital. He was managing director of contract manufacturer JIT Electronics, which ranked third in the E50 Awards in 1997 before it was listed.

Occasionally, the E50 Club organises a policy forum with the Young Presidents' Organisation in Singapore. The club currently has about 120-130 members.

Erman Tan, chief executive of Asia Polyurethane, says joining the business networking club has helped his company tremendously. Being ranked with Singapore's best has helped reinforce the company's standing with customers, suppliers and partners - and also made it more attractive to talent.

Taking part in the E50 Awards has encouraged staff to continually maintain or outperform the standards they set while competing for the awards, Mr Tan said. 'They continue to have a passion for excellence.'

To qualify for the E50 Club, get your company a place in the annual E50 Awards ranking. Nominations for this year's awards are now open.

Companies must be home- grown and privately owned. Participants are evaluated on quantitative and qualitative criteria, including operating profit before tax, turnover, profit growth, business model, innovations, management ideals and corporate governance standards.

No entry fee is required for the E50 Awards. Submissions should be made by June 15.